


Elemental Duran Duran: Songwriting and Style, Pt. II

by yourlibrarian



Series: Music Reviews [2]
Category: Duran Duran
Genre: 1980s, 80's Music, Gen, Meta, Nonfiction, Reviews
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:53:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23201239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourlibrarian/pseuds/yourlibrarian
Summary: Review of Duran Duran albums from 1985-1989, written at the time.
Series: Music Reviews [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668115
Comments: 6
Kudos: 2
Collections: March Meta Matters Challenge





	Elemental Duran Duran: Songwriting and Style, Pt. II

After _Seven and the Ragged Tiger_ and the much publicized world tour, malaise became too mild a word to describe what began happening to Duran Duran. The album had some distinguishing characteristics that became apparent in the band's subsequent solo work. Apparently most supervised by Nick Rhodes, his and Simon le Bon's Arcadia album would show traces of stylistic touches begun on Seven. "Wild Boys" showed more of what John and Andy Taylor were interested in -- a hard, but stylish sound. With a bigger audience for their image, their video work became even more ambitious. With their separate personalities increasingly in the public eye, their musical contributions were becoming more individualistic and diverse and thus more apparent in the group's work. As John Taylor said to Record magazine while recording Seven , "The time is fast approaching when each of us will have to prove ourselves alone outside the group". What would have been interesting to see is how the band would have dealt with a commercial bomb rather than success from _Seven_. By feeding the band's individual egos with the sweet taste of success, their general split was delayed. Curiously, one of their better works would brilliantly combine both sides of their forces to give them a number one single just before the group dissolved.

52) **A View to a Kill:** With a smooth and insinuating melody line and ominous, yet persuasive vocals from le Bon, this song returns to the tradition of such Bond themes as "Goldfinger" and "Live and Let Die". The combination of rhythmic power with a soft and flowing melody, (easily seen in James Barry's "That Fatal Kiss" version) is wonderfully effective. The shifting tones of this track mercifully put an end to wimpy tunes best exemplified by Sheena Easton's unbearable "For Your Eyes Only." Both sharp and melodious, it is one of le Bon's best vocal jobs and contains average lyrics. A success as a Duran song and a Bond theme, it expresses the polar sides of the title character in the soft melodies combined with sudden and furious force. 




The release of _33 1/3_ from the Power Station was redeeming for John Taylor and a stepping stone for both Andy Taylor and Robert Palmer. Commercially successful, it revealed in clear form Taylor's much spoken-of vision -- a blend of Chic and the Sex Pistols. It also revealed something he may not have realized at the time, which is that Duran Duran never was or would be the group he had planned. Rather, it had and would become greater than the sum of its parts. But his vision itself was not to be faulted. The Power Station had a debut album that broke new audience territory and was great at what it did. Hard hitting pop/rock, Palmer's marvelous vocals gave them style, and the instrumentals turned out perfectly crafted right hooks. The rhythm section that had always given Duran Duran its strength could have its own melodic ideas emerge in the Taylors' writing collaborations.

Palmer's very different vocals could hardly be compared to le Bon's, and explored new territory. Arcadia wouldn't hold as many surprises, despite its own success, and the possibilities for the Power Station's new sound undoubtedly intrigued John Taylor to no end.

53) **Some Like It Hot** : A hard hitting, punchy, catchy song all around. Who couldn't feel the heat? From the stacattoed drums of the opening to the throbbing entering bass line, to the simmering way these elements move through the song, this tune has the perfect undertone to Palmer's vocals. Tony Thompson's drumming is Roger Taylor unleashed, even though Taylor did contribute percussive dubs. A great single and a tempting promise for the LP.

54) **Murderess:** Undoubtedly the toughest song on the album and miles away from anything Duran Duran would ever do, this song is driving, gritty (stylishly, of course) and would have been a great single. Its best aspect is the menacing bass line apparent in the song's chorus. It also has a good mix that holds all the parts together while leaving the number its edge.

55) **Lonely Tonight:** Segueing a rocky sound into a mellifluous tune works as Palmer's vocals and a well chosen guitar line move the listener along. The backing vocals add a great deal to this song, keeping it from mundanity, and Palmer's lyrics give him material to work with. His understated performance here is one of the best on the album.

56) **Communication:** An interesting and appropriate set of lyrics, and a pleasant tune make this a good track. Not particularly distinctive, yet listenable and far from bland, this song eases out the first side and serves as a bridge for the killer opening on side two. It also contains the most understated guitar solo on the album. A peppy performance by all and a good closing make this plain good pop.

57) **Bang a Gong (Mark Bolan)** : The song that the Power Station formed itself to record, this track says a great deal about the direction and content of the group. Hard rocking and distinctive, this song suits the group's name as it shoots 1000 volts through the original version and rips it apart. While Mark Bolan's original was sultry and had a rhythm that drifted in your blood, this rendition challenges you to a fight. Best featuring Palmer's vocals in the verses he adopts Bolan's sensuality but with an urgency and tangible lust that explodes in the chorus as the music holds back no punches. Taylor's guitar work is well used here and is probably his best showcase on the LP, giving the song its cutting edge. The mix is excellent and the backing vocals a great touch in the intro. The break is good, and if this could be any better other musicians should go out of business.

58) **Go to Zero** : This track, not co-written by either of the Taylors, heavily employs the use of instrumentals to make it a workable number. The melody line is acceptable enough, but could have run to bland without the good work done here. While the lyrics are poor, Palmer can make almost anything sound good, and with solid backing, he does. Like "Communication", this is a pleasant tune, though more deficient, but with the guitar and rhythm section rounding out the melody's character, this track gets a chance to move along on its own.

59) **Harvest for the World** (Isley/Isley): Another cover version in which Andy Taylor duets with Palmer, the vocals so make up this tune that the music is left very much in the background. This is not good for it, because the instrumental's backseat aspect detracts from the song's potential power. While Taylor has a pleasant voice, it is weak and better suited for ballads. He sounds strained and forced in this recording, particularly since Palmer only sounds gritty when pushed. This song's message was timely, but it's the LP's weakest point.

60) **Still In Your Heart:** A lovely ballad, if this song's slow, anguished flavor can be called that. The lyrics are the LP's finest and Palmer's vocals are best left unemphasized so that the music speaks for him. The piano track plays nicely, giving the number a down to earth feel, and the guitar is properly muted. The sax takes over instead, giving a melancholy/bluesy feel that's needed. An excellent tune, if a surprising closer for the other direct-hit pieces. The writing also says a good deal about the Taylors' versatility.




Arcadia's debut album was less dramatic than the Power Station's, but this is understandable when you consider the divergent musical styles. Moreover, Arcadia had less outside input on the shape and direction of its album than Taylor & Taylor did (as is evident by Robert Palmer's _Riptide_ , also produced by Bernard Edwards with the aid of Tony Thompson and Andy Taylor). Le Bon made an apt observation on the different styles, saying "The Power Station album is great to get up to in the morning, but when you want to wind down at night you put on Arcadia."

While perhaps not as different as night and day, the two groups did have different aims and means. The absence of internal friction on this project could be noted without benefit of Roger Taylor saying so. There are still some spots on _So Red the Rose_ that might have been reworked had other heads prevailed. But despite carrying over the rich mix and tone of _Seven_ , (particularly in the intro to "Keep Me in the Dark", which harks back to "Seventh Stranger") the music expands and develops into some truly remarkable work. 

61) **Election Day:** It is a tribute to the infiltrating quality of the track and le Bon's ever modified vocals that Grace Jones does not upstage them in her guest appearance. The song is indeed moody and grey, mean and restless. While le Bon's lyrical efforts are execrable, his vocal work is quite good, keeping well within the song's ranges and sinking right into the tone. Roger Taylor's drum work is recognizable and supportive, seeming at its best with Duran Duran's softer rather than harder sounds. His sparse and adjustable drumming shines in a role that requires reaction to a melody line rather than a challenge to it. This song has a real talent in locking itself into the listener's memory, and carries an insidious seductiveness which makes it sound better all the time. Great work, great tune, great performance, and a great statement for le Bon and Rhodes.

62) **Keep Me in the Dark:** The drumming is the crucial part of this track, however secondary a part it seems to play. A good song, this is not single material but good work in both presentation and melody. Le Bon's vocals are very well done here, and he gives himself a little more to work with lyrically. This LP derives its power from the heavy synthesizer work and this song is no exception. What makes this particular one less distinctive than an "Election Day" is that these three didn't have to be on their own to record it.

63) **Goodbye is Forever:** A stimulating number due to its diversity. For such a song to start out with syncopation and an itchy eight bar prior to the verse, and then segue into a song of loss and regret makes "Goodbye" memorable. Le Bon's soulful accompaniments on the chorus and scattered through the instrumentals punctuate a nice performance. The melody is appropriate to le Bon's emphatic, yet removed lyrics. "Goodbye" is subtler than some of the majesty on side 2, but avoids blandness while not defeating its purpose. This was also a surprising choice for a single since it is neither as commercial as "The Flame" nor weighty as "The Promise", and unfortunately didn't go over as well as it should have. 

64) **The Flame** : The album's weakest track, the percussion beginning is interesting but the song fails to present the uniqueness of the other numbers. It moves along but only sets up "Missing"'s superb artistry. Listened to too closely, le Bon's vocals sound dramatized and the instrumentals bland. On a weaker LP "The Flame" might sound better since it is tightly mixed and an obvious single choice.

65) **Missing:** The most noticeable masterwork on a good album, "Missing" succeeds better than any of its second side counterparts due to its brevity and depth. Le Bon's promoted, yet non-overpowering vocals and apt lyrics meet the synthesizer pattern halfway to provide a full bodied "Tiger, Tiger". Nick Rhodes's capability of blending uneven sounds into a piece that not only works but sound ever ingratiating is demonstrated here (although he had a tougher job in other songs). His fine ear and le Bon's sense of role playing work best here, creating the state of meditation that "Secret Oktober"'s mantra-like qualities heralded. An aural gem, this song leads into the moody undertone and increasingly sophisticated and experimental work on the second side.

66) **Rose Arcana/The Promise:** Although actually two songs, this brief instrumental is a fair way of bridging the transitions between side one and two with its eastern flavor segueing into African rhythms. Undistinctive by itself we should hope it wasn't meant as anything more. While "Missing" is rich and transitory, "The Promise" is uplifting and beautiful. Appropriate, yet distinctly his own lyrics, le Bon puts his own spin on the scene of world hunger. It is hard to imagine what this would sound like without Sting's backing vocals as they are recognizable and perfect in their setting. The two voices blend well. With a good set of vocals, and lyrics backed by a forceful and influential set of instrumentals, this song would have been a marvelous single had someone been daring enough to release it in the U.S. market. The simple melody line is made moving by its rendition, flowing through the continuous rhythm. By its placement "The Promise" becomes just that to the following songs.

67) **El Diablo:** Continuing the noticeable ethnic borrowing begun on side one, the Latin influences now come out to play. Le Bon's vocals are overshadowed by the instrumentals in this case, deservedly so since they are unexciting and his lyrics weak. He might have done more with it, but another good option would have been to leave this an instrumental piece (perhaps with mood vocals as drop-ins a la "Tel Aviv"). The music is so strong this could have played well anywhere. The bass plays an important, but understated part. The trickling flute thrills the music with life and the drum tracks have their play in one of the album's finer musical arrangements. The song is rich and brimming with sentiment that le Bon can neither give to it nor take from it.

68) **Lady Ice:** An unmissable masterpiece from this pair, this marks their best collaboration yet. It's a true mark in their transition from Seven's experimentation to the expanded and modified sound of Arcadia. This song is their showcase, just like "Some Like It Hot" was Power Station's. Better than the harder and more commercial "Election Day" in showing what Arcadia is all about, this song is more than good. "Lady Ice" is original and haunting, appealing to something far different in tone and music than any previous effort and is a true foil to the Taylors' neon nightlife project. The lyrics and vocals here are excellent, a real claim to fame for le Bon. Obviously believing his own words he creates a fine performance that adds the final push to the searching and underground power of this piece. Very much a synthesizer display, Rhodes creates both melody and drop-ins that forever serve as his foils and challenges to the music's flow. He counters himself well enough to keep the track from becoming self-serving. An excellent closer, this one keeps you thinking with the feel of the band still in your senses.

69) **Say the Word:** [Playing for Keeps Soundtrack ] This song was an interesting tune for Arcadia. While keeping the band's distinct sound, it differs in tone from most of the album's songs. A nice little lyrical job from Le Bon, it made for a much better single than "The Flame" with its jaunty air and returning melody. It featured a good performance from the trio.




1985 was not a good year for this group. Aside from presenting two artistically successful but more commercially disappointing albums that drove a wedge into the natural separation of the group's musical forces, the group's personal forces were also scattered. With Andy Taylor moving to California and immersing himself in solo projects and the local music scene; John Taylor moving to New York and going into partnership with Jonathan Elias for the appealing and promising "I Do What I Do"; Simon le Bon taking off on a much publicized leg of the Whitbread Cup yacht race; Roger Taylor retiring from the group and music business; and Nick Rhodes moving to Paris, increasingly in pursuit of artistic interests, it was not for nothing that people believed the group defunct. In reality the group's future teetered precariously. 

Despite the symbolic reunion for Super Concert One in the fall of '85 (a failed project due, ostensibly, to monetary difficulties) the two factions were embroiled in a cold war. It was already a fact that Roger Taylor, weary of the industry's pressures and publicity, would not be returning. With their neutral ground and stabilizing influence removed, their reasons for reuniting seemed few. 

Andy Taylor, had in fact, already decided to cut free of the group's restrictions and launch his own version of rock and roll. Similarly restless, John Taylor was indecisive. Whatever the reasons for their eventual reunion, the rebanded group presented a new sound, look and direction with the much awaited Notorious. In October of 1986 le Bon, Rhodes and Taylor went about proving that they were, as Rhodes once said, "the essential members of Duran Duran". Certainly their separate projects had honed their skills. John Taylor's bass laid down funk influenced lines more skillfully interwoven in the music than in his Power Station days. Le Bon's vocals had become more adaptable to stylistic changes and his writing matured. Unfortunately, while showing competent musicianship, _Notorious_ does little more than show these three can turn out a good LP. This album is nice to listen to, but unremarkable.

70) **Notorious:** A better dance mix than an album track, this title track was a good first single. Jazzy, slightly funky and eminently danceable in its endless remixes, the sound explodes, soars and funks. Unlike "The Reflex" however, Nile Rodgers' magic touch only bettered, not made, this melodically solid tune. Sharp, cosmopolitan and eightyish, this song is urban and slick as opposed to the jet setting lilt of "Rio" and brooding underworld of "Planet Earth". Not bad.

71) **American Science:** Sensuous and insinuating, "American Science" doesn't lose the contemporary touch of the preceding track. Instead it sounds like the perfect cognac by the penthouse fireplace wind-down counterpart. It is regrettable that this album is the first in which le Bon's lyrics are not printed. His voice blends in rather than stands out as he matches the song's musical grain. The heavy use of horns in this LP replaces the previous sax touches and it makes a big difference. 

72) **Skin Trade:** Undoubtedly one of le Bon's best vocal performances on any LP, he and the song make each other look good. Unfortunately, the style isn't really his and often sounds affected and imitative, but it is still well rendered. Lyrically, you could call it the much awaited "Girls on Film" Pt.II, and its wry touches are welcome listening. Melodically this song isn't very remarkable, but as the break demonstrates, it rides on its performance. Musically competent, le Bon still steals the show. It is too bad another track couldn't have continued where this break left off. Spots like that could have made this LP a solid hit.

73) **We Need You** [1987 flip to "Skin Trade"]: As with most of the band's B sides, this tune has a slightly different mood from the album tracks. In this case, "We Need You" is one of the better examples of the band working together. Piano oriented, quiet and slightly jazzy, it has the attraction of le Bon's vocal layering at the close. Like just about every other song from Notorious it keeps you wondering what could have been done with a little more effort.

74) **A Matter of Feeling:** A pleasant tune, most notable for le Bon's fine lyrics. Earnestly sung, le Bon gives them a slightly dry tone of someone who is no longer so eager for the games of youth but the rewards of maturity. One of this song's best points is the integrated and subdued use of the synthesizer lines. They carry the tune without making it sound overproduced. Too sincere to be fluff, this song is still a background track -- to be played while awaiting the main show.

75) **Hold Me:** Carried by the bass line, this song has drive but lacks punch. Probably second to "Notorious" in power, that isn't saying much for this album which, despite its title, is rather mellow. By contrast "Wild Boys" really was wild. This song never quite cuts loose, despite the promise of its chorus. Of course, as the break demonstrates, this LP is funk, not rock oriented. The group should have tried to do itself some favors in this direction. With this producer and the band's tastes, "Notorious" should have been funkier than it is. The success of the first two LPs lay in keeping sight of their new wave and pop orientations. _Seven_ kept any sense of orientation to itself, and _Notorious_ rates a C for effort.

76) **Vertigo** (Do the Demolition): This song has neither vertigo nor demolition tendencies. The group should have taken a tip from the Police on this. With a laid back, funk bass line this may be demolition on 12 1/2 speed. Night March is more like it. Sadly, one of le Bon and Rhodes's greatest assets is wasted on this album. Usually working hand in glove to actualize each other's work, there are no imaginative touches here. Rhodes provides acoustical imagery to mimic le Bon's lyrics and le Bon's vocals try to marry the tone and melody of the piece. Here someone is only going halfway. Lyrically le Bon rises to the occasion, but it is a lackluster performance overall.

77) **So Misled:** This is made a better tune than it is by its company. It should be on a level with "Shadows on Your Side" but the chorus picks up a little with that repeatable quality that sticks in the mind. Staccatoed and jazzed, this may have been a rollicking tune. Lyrically it has some nice syllogisms but the band sounds like it lacks spirit.

78) **Meet El Presidente:** The bass is kicking and le Bon is willing but this song is missing some crackle. It has all the elements -- a nice melody line and the talent to pull it off -- so why doesn't it seem to go anywhere? Listen to the dance mix version and you'll find out. Let loose, those instrumental lines won't let you keep still.

79) **Winter Marches On:** It is surprising Melody Maker would call this a "Save a Prayer" remake. In tone it is an antithesis to "Prayer"'s summer, and they obviously didn't pay the Arcadia LP much mind. What this song smacks strongest of is a le Bon/Rhodes collaboration. As such, it is one of the album's best numbers because it is true to itself in its leanings. It sounds like a good Arcadia tune -- not remarkable, but commendable. It shouldn't have looked so out of place though. Moody, impressionistic and evocative, its haunted strains and le Bon's chilled vocals add up to a solid song. Unfortunately a Power Station remnant would have given this LP the shot in the arm it needs better than this work.

80) **Proposition:** The bass kicks in the power and the horns herald some real speed here, but le Bon's vocals and lyrics are misplaced. Rhodes' synthesizer work should have gone on the previous track. This song is a perfect example of the overall impression _Notorious_ gives -- that the songs don't work unless one half of the group's equation dominates. With the excellent results of their solo work, the group looks like it's having diplomatic difficulties in pulling together here. This album doesn't answer everyone's questions -- it just staves them off a little longer.




Despite the unevenness of the _Notorious_ album, the 1987 Strange Behaviour tour was an artistic success. Giving the album's numbers life, the true surprises and successes were in their reworking of old numbers such as "Save a Prayer", "The Chauffeur", "New Religion", "The Reflex" and, notably, "Hungry Like the Wolf". Performances such as these served notice that rumors of their musical death were greatly exaggerated. The differences are notable enough to be given mention here.

The set opened with a dramatic "View to a Kill", a rising heartbeat heralding the first synthesizer crash. Le Bon frequently sounded in danger of having his voice crack, however, as it did so mortifyingly during Live Aid. "Save a Prayer" was stripped down acoustically and sounded even more beautiful with just guitar and drums than with the whole band. "New Religion" got a good workup with a rappy middle break and good backing vocals. "The Chauffeur" had a lengthy new-age flavored synthesizer introduction that was a nice contribution by Nick Rhodes. "Some Like It Hot" should have been left off the playlist as this band didn't do it justice and le Bon suffered from vocal comparisons. Similarly, "Election Day" did not translate well, the worst part coming when Sybil Scoby substituted for Grace Jones and sounded out of tune and flat. The live rendition lacked the sensual aura that emanated so well from the turntable. It would have been more interesting to see "Missing" attempted. "Wild Boys", on the other hand, sounded magnificent. From the tantalizing offstage opening of the bass line to the different break, it was one of the show's high points. "The Reflex" had a stateside addition of a pre-song calypso ditty done by le Bon which was unexpected and appreciated. 

It was the reworking of "Hungry Like the Wolf", however, which gave the critics their best reason to see the streamlined Duran Duran. Aside from the lack of pomp and the drive of the brass section, this humdrum melody exploded on stage, sure to catch any bored reviewer off guard. Starting off unrecognizably with a rocking guitar reminiscent of Power Station crunches, "Hungry" was punctuated with choo-choo choruses and a funky beat flashing out in le Bon's vocals. The background vocal accompaniment and guitar explorations out-wilded the "Wild Boys" at its explosive break. Who could have guessed this shimmering, synthesizer-stolen piece would have the crowds dancing in the aisles? 

It is a pity these performances did not get the attention of the _Arena_ -memorialized 1984 tour, which was professionally executed but musically unsurprising. The emphasis of the 1987 tour was definitely on musicianship. Played without any distracting video attention, a solid touring group was set on a basic stage set, and the brass addition was beat-inspiring. Remade hits often fail to suit public tastes. The Police's recent reversion of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" disappointed many, though it was a good toned down arrangement of a more rocking track. Duran Duran set their own hits on fire. Their musical building blocks were sound, but, as "The Reflex " proved, it also takes someone with the right arrangement skills to show them at their best. And at their best, this band soars.

One last note from _Notorious_ concerns their twelve inch releases. This album seems to have spawned an unprecedented number of remixed versions with at least two of each single as well as two remixes of "Vertigo (Do the Demolition)". Perhaps it was originally intended for "Vertigo" to be a fourth single. The band should have stuck to one good solid remix of each. Although the U.S. 12 inch releases served to amplify the original arrangements, others such as the Latin Rascals remix of "Notorious" took the expansion one step farther and really jazzed up the more commercially sedate releases. On the other hand, versions such as the "Chemical Reaction" remix of "Skin Trade" merely prolonged the song with interminable beat spacing and would work only on an already jumping dance floor. 

The advent of "Big Thing" was curious. Following the non-failure of _Notorious_ (the album did, after all, yield a #1 US single and the international tour was a redemptive success) the music industry had to admit that Duran Duran not only hadn't graciously folded out of sight, but it was engaging in a renewed attack on music listeners. So, either it was expecting "I Don't Want Your Love" to be a big hit or the song was simply so unexpectedly good that it got enhanced airplay. _Big Thing_ was well on its way to being a musical landmark for the group.

 _Big Thing_ was everything that _Notorious_ didn't quite achieve. Unabashedly danceable, this should have been dubbed John Taylor Makes It Big . Almost the entire album is made by his bass lines and performance. While featuring an overall banal lyrical showing by le Bon, his usual spiral interaction with Rhodes' synthesizers was kept to a minimum on the LP's first side. The effect was superb, forcing the two to come to the rhythm line rather than digressing from it. Moreover their showpieces on side two featured masterly vocal and keyboard collaboration with fine assistance from an obedient rhythm section. At last _Big Thing_ resolved the question _Notorious_ brought disturbingly to the fore -- the group can keep a focus, it can properly harness its divergent talents into a solid collaboration, and the result is excellence.

81) **Big Thing:** From the first track this album shouts out its differences. "Big Thing"'s gutsy urban beat and basso backing vocals almost obscures its banality. While the lyrics make little sense, in this track they match the music well in this respect. The guitar lines swoop and dip above and below the song's small range melody. This song's best effect is as an opener for the album. More distinctive in its sexual accent, up-front rhythm section and contemporary touch, it is the album's shortest song and serves merely to prepare the listener for what comes next.

82) **I Don't Want Your Love:** Starting with its tangible rhythm, this track burns from the start. Insinuating, urgent vocals are punctuated with a prominent and excellently used bass line. Exploding in the middle break, Warren Cuccurullo's guitar shows what makes this album different from any other, with choral rhythms reminiscent of Andy Taylor's guitar work on "The Reflex". The submerged synthesizer hardly appears even for frills, and the tight mix makes you listen and move to the beat alone.

83) **I Don't Want Your Love:** (Extended) Although the dance version of this song follows the style used for Notorious' dance mixes, this release wasn't needed to make a dance tune out of the original single. Therefore a solid cut was assured as long as long as it wasn't overproduced. This track isn't. A+.

84) **All She Wants Is:** Beginning much like "Big Thing" with a lighter percussive touch and a fuzz-bass sound, the song is perfectly contained -- promising but never delivering a real dance explosion. The guitar is probably best used on this track, adding a sparse highlight to the melding bass and vocals. The absence of imagery as opposed to innuendo by le Bon, adds to the song's even danceability by emphasizing rather than distracting from the rhythm line. The result is gritty and effective.

85) **All She Wants Is** (European Hothouse Remix): Unusual but unsuccessful, this remix is a rarity in that it is not at all the same song as the single. This is also its failing. Set to an almost completely different backing track, the vocals and original rhythm never quite get fit in to their new setting. Songs like "Planet Earth"'s Night Version were original in that they added new music to the original song, but here the idea was taken one step too far. Had they either redone the vocals or written a new song, this track could have been quite good. After all, it sounds very much like Chic.

86) **I Believe/All I Need to Know** :[1988 Flip to "All She Wants Is"] It's easy to understand why this tune was chosen as a B side. While it might have been more distinctive on _Seven and the Ragged Tiger_ or even _Notorious_ , Big Thing is too strong an album to be anything but weakened by this offering. It's a shame that it does not distinguish itself melodically, because the lyrics are intriguing. As in the similarly flawed "We Need You," the song's best point is le Bon's harmonic layering at the close. But where "We Need You" had lyrical flaws and was simply arranged, "I Believe" had real power in the musical performances, such as the piano and harmonica fills. But the tune is only pleasant and good enough as it is.

87) **All She Wants Is** (U.S. Master Mix): Despite the similarity to a porn soundtrack that some see partway through this song, it is superior to the Eurohouse Mix. For one, it is a good reworking of the original song. The second point is that it succeeds at narrowing the song's focus. It could indeed fit into "Body Heat" if not your average porn flick. But it is an inherently steamy song, and the dance mix is not only danceable, but equally conducive to more horizontal activities. If the original single was weak, one could be disappointed with the result, but with no punches pulled, this mix is good stuff.

88) **Too Late Marlene:** The return of keyboards to this piece creates its gently pained and nostalgic mood. Le Bon's lyrics suit this tune's tone well and once again the bass carries the song. Well balanced, pretty, and possibly classic, this song fits into the fine tradition of spots held previously by "Lonely In Your Nightmare" and "Anyone Out There". 

89) **Drug Is Just a State of Mind:** One of their best dance tracks, this Latin flavored tune is an improvement in lyrical compromise over the title track and "All She Wants Is". Mixing, rather than synthesizer drop-ins, give this song a rhythmical immediacy. Although the bass line is less obvious on this number, it is at its best and certainly as fine as anything Chic turned out -- a tribute to the continually improving musical skill of John Taylor. 

90) **Do You Believe In Shame:** A curious synergism of love and shame in le Bon's lyrics don't keep this tune from being one of the most affecting they've done. Le Bon's showcase for the album, his sincere and emphatic vocals really keep this song fresh. The synthesizer is used to great effect (sounding rather Beatlesque actually) and combines its fine lines to the ever admirable bass work in this album.This is probably the best collaboration of the group's talents ever done. However the melody's none too subtle resemblance to "Susie Q" makes one wonder why it was chosen as a single. "Too Late Marlene" would have been better.

91) **Palomino:** The lyrics follow suit from the perfectly unintelligible title, but le Bon's meaningful vocals keep your attention and the chorus unaccountably catches in your mind in a mantra-like fashion. "Secret Oktober" did it better but the attractive sweep and flow of the synthesizers make you forget such details. Appropriately quiet, the rhythm section goes along for the ride and lets le Bon and Rhodes do what they do best, as we see a return of le Bon's self harmony.

92) **Interlude 1** : This is distracting and would be better on another album -- like Paul McCartney's.

93) **Land:** Although the opening vocals are far too sappy, the quick segue into the seawashed synthesizer lines can almost make you forget any fault. A gorgeously rich song, it is also le Bon's best lyrical work in too many years, a clear and drawing story with obvious roots. Perfunctory bass and rhythm rock along with the compelling melody. It is a pity a single of this song could not be backed with Rhodes and le Bon's "Grey Lady and the Sea" for a perfectly hedonistic, sensuous delight. The middle guitar work is beautiful. The only thing that can disrupt this magic are the backing vocals that should have been better thought out. If "A Matter of Feeling" was a mature answer to "Save a Prayer", "Land" is the final stop on the path to reality.

94) **Interlude #2** : At least this self-indulgence is briefer than "Faith in This Colour"'s.

95) **Edge of America/Lake Shore Driving:** Although U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" and just about any of Bruce Springsteen's songs give a better picture of America than this attempt, le Bon still comes up with some good imagery, particularly in the chorus. The music wraps well around his observations and the sparse production really makes much more of a statement on the desolation and despair of the song's title than the lyrics. The vocals are appropriate, but the fine segue into the harsh guitar and returning urban rhythm creates a puzzle. Why title a separate song on what is such a fitting finish to "Edge of America"? Curiosities like this can make you believe the group achieves good things by accident, especially when the music cuts off abruptly, urging you outside to explore for yourself.




By the time 1990 rolled around it could be wondered whether Duran Duran as an entity, had a death wish. Whenever its best accomplishments were required, the group failed to deliver.

Although _Duran Duran_ could be said to be a glaring exception to this rule, it is not always necessary to make a big splash with your debut recording. Similarly, _Rio_ could have increased their success less dramatically. But _Seven_ was very closely observed, and _Notorious_ was very definitely a make or break album. Yet the completely ignored _Big Thing_ was a fine example of what Duran Duran could do at its best. 

Unfortunately, while doing ok abroad, the all-important American market turned its back on the LP and Rolling Stone, for example, did not even deign to review it. Their American tour was a major disappointment, with the band unable to sell out even small venues and downsizing in former strongholds such as Los Angeles. Perhaps most revealing of all, MTV, the band's former ally (it was never true that MTV "made" the band -- it was, rather, a marriage of convenience) gave very little heed to the new album and hardly touched the video for "Do You Believe in Shame". 

The band's response was to become less visible. No press was done on the 1989 tour, and their appearances were limited. They decided, early on, to forgo the expenses of a tour in support of their next album. Most alarming of all, perhaps, was the idea of putting out a greatest hits LP.

Who, exactly, had the idea for _Decade_ is uncertain. With the band's fortunes in definite decline, it was a wise move for Capitol Records, and couldn't help but push the band's catalog sales. It was also a move of bravado on the part of the band (who must be one of the few requiring a greatest hits LP -- witness Arena -- after every two to three albums). _Decade_ did make the point that the band had been around for ten years and was planning to continue onward. But although the record company begged for a new song, or at least revamped version of one of their hits, the band stubbornly refused to add anything to _Decade_ 's playlist. A compromise of sorts was reached in the single "Burning the Ground", which, along with their contributions to Jonathan Elias's _Requiem for the Americas_ , was the only material from them in another long year and a half. 

97) **Follow in My Footsteps** [Requiem for the Americas -- Simon on vocals]: Somehow, Simon's performance on these, albeit catchy lyrics, lacks conviction. It's also unfortunate that Suzannah Hoffs' (almost non-present) effortless backing vocals create such a contrast to his more forced ones. Then again, these lyrics are clunky within the flow of the melody and Simon does do his best with them. The entire album consists of fairly unstructured music, and the track that Taylor and Rhodes contribute material to is so unrevealing of their work it will not be mentioned here. The melody of this track would not, however, be amiss in a work by Arcadia.

98) **Burning the Ground** (Single affiliated with, but not found on, the Decade album): This was an ingenious piece of work. Released on a 12 inch with the longer but less remarkable version, "Decadance", this track was a master-mix of songs found on the Decade album, yet so mixed and matched that it has a melody and shape almost its own (most of the base for the song comes, perhaps intentionally, from "Save a Prayer", a song so accepted as to have cover versions). This is certainly a tribute to sampling and it would be enjoyable for any Duran afficionado to recognize the different sound bites composing this record. In addition the title was a timely reminder about the state of the rain forests and global warming. It even works on the dance floor. Clever.





End file.
